The New Nation - Internet Edition

Potato cultivation target not likely to achieve in northern region

UNB, Rangpur

Potato cultivation may not be achieved in 16 northern districts, including Rangpur-Dinajpur region, due to abnormal price hike of fertilizer and other agri-inputs this season.

Farmers said they achieved bumper production last season due to easy availability of fertilizers at reasonable prices. But this season the imported fertilizers DAP and DOP are being sold at exorbitant prices in the local markets which are beyond the purchasing capacity of the common growers.

They said at present per sack of DAP fertilizer is being sold at Tk 3,600 against the previous year's price of Tk 1,800, per sack DOP at Tk 2,200 against the previous price of Tk 1,500 while per sack urea at Tk 600 against the previous rate of Tk 300.

According to Department of Agricultural Extension, a scheme has been taken up to bring 2.50 lakh hectares of land under potato cultivation during the current season.

Of the total, some 1.77 lakh hectares will be cultivated in Rangpur-Dinajpur region.

The farmers said they cultivated potato on per acre at a total cost of Tk 45,000 last season but this year they apprehend that it will cost at least Tk one lakh. They also said many poor and marginal farmers gave up the idea to cultivate potato this season.

The growers urged the government to take immediate measures to reduce the prices of fertilizer so that they can cultivate potato as per the target.

Sheikh Hasina’s comment on upazila election welcomed

BSS, Gaibandha

People from all walks of life including candidates for the post of upazila chairmen and vice chairmen welcomed the comment of Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina about the 3rd upazila parishad election scheduled to be held on January 22.

The candidates were in great tension whether the upazila parishad election would be held or not in scheduled time.

After landslide victory in 9th parliamentary election, AL chief Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the 3rd upazila parishad election would be held in the country in due time fixed by the election commission.

After hearing it, the candidates and their supporters started their electioneering activities and campaign.

BNP leader’s house attacked in Bagerhat

UNB, Bagerhat

Assailants attacked the houses of a local BNP leader and his relatives at Panchakaran village in Morelganj upazila Tuesday morning, leaving seven people, including two women, injured.

The attackers also ransacked a number of houses and looted valuables, alleged Khan Abul Kalam, former secretary of Teligati union unit BNP.

A group of people attacked the houses Kalam and his relatives with sharp weapons and sticks at about 6am, leaving seven injured, said the BNP leader.

They also ransacked the houses and looted valuables, he added. The injured were admitted to the Sadar Hospital. Condition of three was stated to be critical, hospital sources said.

Meanwhile, Abul Kalam held Awami League activists responsible for the attack.

But, local Awami League leaders, declining the allegation, said that they knew nothing about the incident.

The OC of Morelganj thana said police force have been sent to the spot to investigate the matter.

Three killed in train cuts at Lalmonirhat, Bogra

BSS, Rangpur

Three persons, including a mother and her minor son, were killed in train cuts in two separate incidents in Lalmonirhat and Bogra districts on Tuesday evening, police sources said.

The mother Rina Begum, 30, and her son Mim, 5, of village Chamurpara under Sonatola upazila in Bogra, were killed as a train ran over them near their village home.

The Lalmonirhat bound 'Kartoa Express' intercity train from Santahar crushed the both as the mother rushed to save her son playing on the railway line when the train was passing through the area.

An unidentified young girl, 20, was killed when she fell down the wheels of a Lalmonirhat bound local train from Parbotipur at a place in between Mohendranagar and Teesta Railway stations under Sadar upazila in Lalmonirhat.

Two separate UD cases were filed in these connections with the concerned railway police stations, the sources said.

Newly elected BNP MP injured in Cox’s Bazar road mishap

BSS, Cox’s Bazar

Newly elected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) MP from Cox's Bazar-1 constituency Advocate Hasina Ahmed suffered critical injury in a road accident here on Wednesday morning.

Police and hospital sources said the accident took place at Gayalmara under Chakaria upazila on Cox's Bazar-Chittagong highway at 10am when the driver of Hasina Ahmed's Pajro jeep lost control over the steering.

The jeep driver Abdur Rahman was killed on the spot and three others received injuries in the accident.

Advocate Hasina Ahmed was coming to Dhaka with her assistant Babul and president of Pekua Press Club Sofwanul Karim.

All of them were admitted to Jam Jam Hospital of Chakaria.

Advocate Hasina Ahmed won the Cox's Bazar-1 seat securing 1,56,512 votes in the December 29 parliament election. Her nearest rival of Bangladesh Awami League received 1,21,111 votes.

8 hurt in post-poll attacks in Narsingdi

UNB, Narsingdi

BNP activists in separate attacks Wednesday injured eight inmates of three houses at Khudda Nawpara village in Sadar upazila for allegedly not casting votes for the BNP candidates in Monday's general election.

Police said a group of 25/30 people, led by BNP leaders Samir Bhuiyan and Sadequr Rahman, attacked the houses of Shamsu Mia, Barek Mia and Mulluk Chan and beat their inmates at about 10am.

The attackers also damaged the three houses and looted valuables.

Police arrested four of the attackers later.

The injured were admitted to a local hospital.

In another incident, the same group injured five other people at Nawakandi village in the same upazila for same reason.

Two killed in Naogaon road mishap

BSS, Rajshahi

Two youths were killed on the spot in a road accident at Kalushahar under Mohadevpur upazila of Naogaon district on Wednesday.

Quoting witnesses and police said the accident took place when a speeding truck knocked down a motorbike that was carrying the two youths coming from the opposite direction.

The youths identified as Shafiuddin alias Sagar, 25, son of Nurunnabi, and Sweet, 20, son of Azizar Rahman, are the residents of Kalushahar. However, the driver of the truck managed to escape with his vehicle.

JUTA greets Hasina for landslide victory in poll

BSS, Savar

The Jahangirnagar University Teachers' Association (JUTA) today in a statement congratulated Awami League chief and head of the grand alliance Sheik Hasina for landslide victory of her party in the ninth parliamentary election held on December 29.

The statement signed by JUTA president Prof MA Matin also thanked the Election Commission for presenting the nation a free, fair and credible national poll. The JUTA has also expected total implementation of the AL's electoral manifestos after forming the government.

8 candidates lose security deposit in Sherpur

UNB, Sherpur

Eight out of 15 candidates in Monday's general election in the district lost their security deposits as they failed to secure minimum number of votes.

They are Mohammad Shafiullh of Krishak Sramik Janata League (514 votes), Tafazzal Hossain Akhand of Kalyan Party (332 votes), Azharul Islam of Tarikat Federation (377 votes), and independent candidate Afil Sheikh (294 votes) in Sherpur-1, Mohammad Harunur Rashid of Gono Forum (717 votes), Mozaffar Ahmed of NPP (753 votes) in Sherpur-2, Abdullah Al Mahmud of Gono Forum (251 votes), and A Wahed of Islami Andolon (2728 votes) in Sherpur-3.

Each candidate deposited Tk 10,000 as security to contest the election. A candidate will lose the security deposit if he/she fails to bag one and half percent votes out of total votes cast in a constituency.

Local sources a total of 6,868 no votes were also cast in three constituencies in the polls.

Newsman dead

UNB, Nilphamari

Veteran journalist Fazlur Rahman, who had been suffering from liver cancer since long, died at Netaji Suvash Chandra Basu Hospital in Kolkata Monday night. He was 59.

He will be buried at the district central graveyard after namaj-e-janaza at Aliya Madrassah ground after zohr prayers today (Wednesday), family sources said.

He was born at Shahipara in the district town in 1949. He left behind his widow, two sons and one daughter and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death.

Beginning his journalism career with Dhaka based weekly Ittehad in 1968 Fazlu was the founder member of local press club and club's president until his death.

He was also involved with various social organizations during his lifetime.

Pistol with bullets recovered in Rangpur

BSS, Rangpur

Police recovered a locally-made pistol with five rounds bullets and a charger from village Dariapara under Badarganj upazila in the district on Thursday night, police sources said.

Acting on secret information, a special police team conducted a sudden raid at the village and recovered the pistol and ammunitions in abandoned conditions from the spot.

None was arrested in this connection as the criminals involved managed to escape the scene sensing police presence.

A case was filed in this connection with Badarganj police station, the sources said.

Election history repeats in Barisal division

Our Correspondent, Barisal

There was a repeat of election history for the Awami League(AL), which made a thumping victory in the just concluded 9th parliamentary poll winning only three seats out of 21 in the division like that in 2001.

The election results showed the fresher dominated the election with their clean image and the three major political parties-The AL of Sheikh Hasina, BNP headed by former prime minister Khaleda Zia and the Jatiya Party(JP) of former military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad-- got two seats each in Barisal district.

AL candidates Advocate Talukder Muhammad Yunus(Barisal-1) and Monirul Islam Moni (Barisal-2) won, while the Mezbahuddin Farhad(Barisal-4) and Advocate Mojibur Rahman Sarwar(Barisal-5) went to BNP and Golam Kibria Tipu(Barisal-3) and ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader(Barisal-6) went to JP.